Knitting machine



Jun 1l, 1935.

s. A. WELCH Er A1. 2,004,260

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1954 2 sheets-sheet i Kam/awk nrs www June 11, `1935.

s. A. WELCH ET AL l2,004,260

KNITTING MAcHNE l Filed Feb. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 1l, 1935 ,UNI-TED STATES KNITTING MACHINE Sidney Arthur Welch, Albert Faiho'lmecuyler, John Thomas Ashby, and William "Henry Boaler, Spondon, near Derby, England, assign-,- ors to CelaneseCorporation of America, a cor-` i poration of` Delaware Application Februaryt,

i934, serial No. Iidonei In Great Britain February 20, l1933 `5 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and is an improvement in or modification ofthe invention described in U. S. application 'Serial No.

y 446,276 filed 22nd April, 1930;

U. S; application Serial No. 446,276 describes a knitted fabric and a method and a machine for knittingrthe same, the `fabric being a tubular fabric in which the loops or stitches` form close and continuous helical courses about the fabrid,

While the warp threads of which the fabric v is composed all traverse open-helical paths about the fabric. In order to knit this fabric, a machine `is employed which comprises an endless series of needles adaptedfto be operated Y suc- `in the opposi'tedirectionv to the knitti'rig`cams., Each series of Awarps'is fed ingsheet form from asource of supplyto theguides and thence vtothe needles. The invention is particularly concerned with a machine of this type in'which two series of guides are provided. Y Y According to the present invention two series of warp threads are fed to a circle of needles by means .of two concentric' rings of guides and both series ofwarp threads pass between the rings of vguides on their way to the needles.`

The present invention enables the warp threadsiito be fed directly to theirguidesand thence to the needles without passingby any o f the guide operating mechanism, and without hav- `ingto be deflected into `a devious path in order not to contactA with such mechanism. By reason of their more direct path, the tension imparted `to the threads may be reduced, and in addition,

the twosheetsof warps may follow substantially `similar paths, so that tensioning conditions are equalas between 4the sheets, as f well as between the threads inf each sheet. 'The guides are enabl'd tonoperate bymovements` substantially at right angles tdthe direction fromwhich the yarns comete themfso that the movements of `the guidesthemse'lves have no substantial effect onfthe tensioninthe threads. 4l'urthewrm'ore,la-clear view is permitted of the Vwarp threads and the `fabric produced therefrom,

and of the-working parts ofzthe machine. l Thus, the replacement of guides or needles when necessary, is greatly-facilitated, andthe manipulation PATE N T* of the warp threads, whether inthe operation of threading them initially through ithe guides and passing them to the'needles, or in any Yattention they` may need during' knitting, is "made easier.

Where sinkers are employed, as is usual in machines employing bearded or spring needles, these elements engage the thread proceeding from-each needle to the guide which has wrappedthe thread round that needle, and makes a loop off thread which is subsequently taken up by the Vneedle when it descends to knit va further loop inthe fabric. In order toensure adequate engagement fof the sinkers with the threads, the thread guides 'in `the present invention maybe given'rasliding motion which has not only' a radial` component, carrying the guides across the line ofthe needles, `but also a circumferential component. VA convenient rway in which such a motion may beeifectedis by'mounting the guides intricks eut in i guide ringsf,rthe'tricks being cut, not radially, but at an angle to the radial, so that, in sliding in such tricks, the guides have a circumferential as well as aradial motion.` `By virtue of thecircumfer-` ential motion, the guides may pass over the spaces between needles 'so' as to `guide their threads"l 'through such spaces, and still carry `thelthreads fairly across thepaths of the sinkers, which move radially throughthe'between-needle spaces. f The sense of the angle at which thetricks arecutis such that the inward movement of each guide has a componentin thedirection of general rotation of theguide.' In thisma'nner; while each threadis drawn further in the direction of rota'- tion of the guides 'than would otherwise be thel f case, `andisA led fairlyacrossthe path of'a sinker, the additional movement `is taken back again 4when theguides-move outwardly to wrap `each 'thread "round a further needle. 4 v

It will be understood that','as` in U. S. applica- "tion Serial No. 446,276 the severalmctions between theneedle assembly, the needle and guide 'cam assembly andthe two guide assemblies are only relative motions and anyone of' these assembliesvmay be maintained stationary while the rest rotate at the requisite speed and in the requisite direction to produce the desired relativemetions. In the present invention it is generally preferable to maintain one of the sheets of warp threads stationary, while theneedles, the needle cams andthe other set of warp threads rotatefat "dinerent speeds. Where a circular series of vertical needles is employed, and where as is convenient the warp threads pass downwardly to the heads of vsuch needles, it is preferred that the outer sheet of warp threads should be maintained stationary in the manner indicated above, while the inner-sheet is caused to rotate.

By way of example a form of knitting machine according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in Which:-

Figure l is a sectional View ofY one half of a machine according to the invention, and

Figures 2, 3, 4: and 5 illustrate details of the machine shown in Figure l.

The machine comprises a stationary frame havn ing a base Il on which are mounted columns i2 supporting a stationary ring I3. turn carries columns I4 which carry a further stan tionary ring I5. Rotatably mounted upon the ring I3 is a ring i6 carrying the needle cylinder I1, the ring I6 being driven by a worm gear I8 mounted on a shaft 23 carried in a bracket 23 on the under side ofthe ring i3. The other end of the shaft 23 carries a Worm gear 2l engaging with a worm 22 mounted upon a shaft lil. The shaft I9 is driven by bevel gears 24, 25 from the drive ing shaft 26 of the machine, and is supported and held in position by means of bearings 2S carried by the stationary rings I3, I5.

Needles 29 and presser jacks 38 are carried in tricks in the needle cylinder I'I, and secured outside'the needle cylinder il is a sinker ring 3i carrying jsinkers 32 in radial slots. Needle cams 33, and sinker cams 34 connected to said needle cams by means of brackets 35 are driven by means of a gear 36 from the main shaft i9 of the machine.

Atthe Vupper end of the machine the ring i3 carries brackets 38 on which are mounted warp beams 39. Rotatably mounted on the ring i5 is a ring or spider 40 carrying brackets il in which are mounted a second set of warp beams 42. In connection with each set of beams is a pair ,oi rollers 43, 44, the upper roller 43 being made of steel, while the lower roller is of rubber or like soft material. The warp threads 45, 45 coming from the beams 39, 42 are fed by means ofthe rollers 43, 44, a fine adjustment of the rate of feed of the threads being permitted by the adjustment of the pressure between the steel rollers 43 and the soft rollers 44, pressure screws il being Provided for this adjustment.

`Below and inside the stationary ring I5 is a further stationary ring 48 carried from the ring I5 by means of brackets 4S. A further ring 53 is rotatably mounted on the stationary ring 48, its edge being geared at 5I to enable it to be driven .from a wormA 52 by means similar to the means I8, I9, 2|, 22 previously described. These driving means are omitted for the sake of clarity.

The inner guide ring 53,is suspended from 'the rotating ring 5S, by means of brackets 54, 'the' ring 5t being in the form of'a spider, and being connected to the upper rota-ting ring or spider 4U by means of a short shaft 55. In this manner the ring 43 together with the beams 42 mounted thereon, and the inner guide ring 53 together with guides 56 sliding in tricks therein, rotate as a system driven by the worm 52 on the shaft I9. Over the inner guide ring 53 is a cam ring 5i acting upon the butts 53 of the guides 555.' The cam ring is driven by means of a shaft 59 carried in bearings E0, BI, and provided with gears 62, 63. The lower gear 62 engages with the inner edge of the cam ring 51, While the upper gear 63 engages with an intermediate driving ring E4 rotatably The ring i3 inV mounted over the ring 53. The intermediate ring 34 is driven at relatively high speed'by means of a gear on the shaft I il.

The outer guide ring 65, similar in section to the inner guide ring, is carried by brackets B'Ifon the columns i4 of the machine. The camring 3B, which acts upon the butts 63 Vof the guides iii, Vis driven by means of a gear 'li on the shaft i9.

A worm gear l2 is provided upon the shaft 59 driving the lowerV guide ring 53, the worm "I2 engaging and driving a worm gear "i3 mounted in conjunction Ywith a sprocket 'M The sprocket 'I4 is connected by means of a chain l5 to a sprocket l5 driving the rollers Q3, 44 and the inner set of beams 42, The outer set of beams is driven by means of a chain il in a similar manner from the shaft (not shown) lying between and connecting the gears 5i, 52.

Figure 2 shows details of the arrangement of guides, needles and associated parts and the guide ring supports. guide ring @E is carried by means of brackets Si' on the columns i4, while the inner guide ring 53 is carried from the rotating ring 5e by means of brackets 54. The brackets 54 also carry the bearings 39, @i for the shaft 59, the bearings being held upon supporting straps 'I3 extending between two brackets 54 as shown in Figure 3.

As Vpreviously stated, the outer The sinker ring 3i is carried by the needle cyli Y2i and presser jacks 3@ iit extend right through the sinker support ridge 'iii and into the oi the cylinder. 'v Y The threads 45 coming from theouter warp beams 39 are guided by means of aring 83 carsurface ried by the brackets 49 and are thereby caused to proceed substantially vertically to the heads of the outer guides 19. The threads 46 coming from the inner beams 42 pass over the guide ring 84 carried on the intermediate driving ring 64, which guide ring causes them to clear the teeth on the inner side of the ring 64. The threads 46 are then guided over the inner surface of the slowly rotating ring 53 to the heads of the inner guides 5G, Since the paths of the threads 45, 46 to the guides lil, 53 are substantially vertical, and since the motions of the guides 1B, 56 are horizontal, the motions of the guides do not affect the tensioning of the threads. Proceeding from the guides ic, 5s thetmeads se, 4t are knitted into fabric 85 which passesto a take-up device 86 driven from a geared ring 8'! under the base plate of the machine. The ring S1 is driven by means of a gear Eldon the shaft I S.

In Figure 4 the arrangement of the guides and guide tricks in the guide ring 53, 66Vis shown. The profiles of the guide cams are shown in dotted line at 9i, S2 and the guides are shown as being actuated in accordance with these cam proles. The tricks S3, 94- in which the guides are caused to slide are inclined to the radial in such a manner that when moving inwardly, the ends of the guides have a motion with a circumferential component aswell as a kradial component, so that they move further in the direction in 'which they are rotating. Y On the sides of the ligure the The guides are omitted to show the sinkers and needle heads beneath. The direction of the threads as they are led from the needles 29 to theheads of the guides is shown more clearly in the enlarged view of Figure whichincludes the threads 55, 9E. It will be seen ,that the inclination of the guide tricks to the radial causes the threads to be moved more fairly across the path of the sinkers 32 than would otherwise be thecase, the end of each guide (indicated by a dot in Figure 5) terminating its movement behind a needle, despite the fact that the guide has moved through the space between two needles. The lines of travel of the guides, that is to say, the lines of the tricks in which they slide, are shown dotted at 91, 98. It will be understood that in Figures 4 and 5, the viewv shown of thesinkers is' a hori- Arental section through the throats of the sinkers,

` trolling warp threads knitted by said needles,

i and means for imparting to each of said guides a motion across the circle of needles, such motion being inclined to the radial motion of a sinker so as to lead a thread from a needle across the path of such sinker.

guide rings, one insideand one outside said circle of needles, guides slidably mounted in said guide rings for guiding two sets of warp threads to the headsof said needles, cams for actuating said guides to slide in said guide rings, said rings having tricks for the reception of said guides, which tricks are cut at an angle to thevradialso that each guide in sliding leads a thread from a needle Y across the path of a sinker, and means forleading each set of warp threads between said guide rings to theguides in ar direction perpendicular to the direction of sliding of the guides.

4. In a circular warp knitting machine, a circle of needles, a'circle of sinkers adapted to move radially between said needles, two sets of guides cut atl an angleto the radial in order to carry i said guides, means for imparting continued relative circular motionsfbetween said guide rings and said circle of Yneedlesand means for leading both sets of warp threads between said rings to the guides in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of sliding of the guides.

5. A circular warp knitting machine provided with mechanism according `to claim 4,l wherein means are provided for driving the needles and the inner guide ring, and wherein the outer'guide ring is maintained stationary.

SIDNEY ARTHUR WELCH. ALBERT` FAIRHOLNLE A GUYLER. JOI-IN THOMAS ASHBY. V `WILLIAM HENRY BOALER.

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